Firearm



Dec. 12, 1944.

G. H. LANCHESTER 2,365,087

FIREARM Filed Aug. 14, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS Dem 12, 1944.

G. H. LANCHESTER FIREARM Fi led Aug. 14, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JWAWM ATTORNEYS I Dec. 12, 1944. e. H. LANCHESTER 2,365,087

FIREARM Filed Aug. 14, 1942 s Sheets-Sheet s w 41 i we D XL JWLQ A Z'IQ TTORNEY Patented Dec. 12, 1944 UNHTED stares FIREARM George Herbert Lanch ester, London,

signer to Anthony Edgar Somers, London,

land

England, as-

Ell

Application August14, 1942, Serial No. 454,839

- In Great Britain April 24, 1941 4 Claims. (01. 42-42) This invention relates to improvements in manufacture of automatic firearms and has more particular reference to the type wherein single shot or continuous firing takes place at the will of the marksman.

The object of the present invention is to increase the accuracy of fire and render more certain the operation of loading, firing and ejection of the spent cartridge case.

The invention comprises latching means to enable the magazine to belocked into position in three dimensions and to be easily attached to or detached from the magazine holder with instantaneous alignment: combined with means for entering the loaded cartride into the gun breach and of closing the latter, and of an extraction device operating with the bolt, and an ejector stop in the same housing with the magazine latch to eject the spent cartridge after firing.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood reference is made to the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a part sectional elevation of the invention shewin an open breech,

Fig. 2 is a cros sectional plan on line Ae-A Fig. l, f

Fig. 3 is a part sectional elevation shewing the breech closed,

Fig. 4 is a cross section at line BB Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a plan of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings and to Fig. 1, the rified gun barrel l is housed in a tubular support 2, rendered axially rigid by flanges. The said tubular support 2 house the bolt 3; which latter carries the extractor 4 and firing pin 5. The said bolt is shaped as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

its axial length being 'slotted as at 4a to accommodate the extractor 4, and is centrally bored to carry the firing pin 5, and grooved as at B to pass the end of the magazine jaws l of standard design and having a loading shoulder 8 adapted to engage the base 9 of cartridge Ill, the latter being angularly emitted from the jaws I of the magazine I2. The bolt shoulder 8 is grooved at I3 to permit the ejector stop 14 to engage'the base 9 of the cartridge It in its rearward movement with the bolt 3. The magazine [2 is formed conventionally as shewn with stops 15 to locate entry, said stops l5 engaging the edge N5 of a magazine socket I! attached to the support 2. The removable magaine I2 is locked to the socket H by mean of a latch l8 adapted to enter and engage on all sides with a slot [9 formed both in the socket l1 and in the substance of the magaine I2. The latch I8 is fast with a plunger 2t said p-lungerhaving a shoulder .21 sliding in recess 22 formed in the socket mass 11, and is furnished with external head 23 cross cut to give finger grip. [A spring 24 is positioned between the underside of the shoulder 2| and the base of the recess 22. The said locking latch device is a nondetachable entity. For economy in tooling and to ensure robust construction the ejector 14 has a cylindrical body Ma journalled in the socket mass H: the nose of the ejector I4 is shaped as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 and enters the groove l3 in the bolt 3. It will be observed that the ejector body [4 acts as a dowel for the correct location of the magazine socket ll on the barrel casing 2, locking these parts together against relative movement. The body of the ejector 14a is formed with a tail [4b, a screw l4c locking the ejector to the socket mass H. To prevent the ejector having any axial movement should the screw I become slack, it is arranged that the latch plunger 20 (see Figs. 3 and 4) 'pass through the substance of the ejector body, and act as a dowel to ensure correct position.

'The operation of the invention either for single shot or continuous firing is as follows:

Assuming the breech to be open and the bolt 5 in its rearward position the magazine already loaded is entered into the socket l! until the catches l5 engage the rim l6 of the said socket. At this point the latch l8 under finger pressure is able to enter the slot I9 formed in the socket l1 and substance of the magazine l2. Removal of pressure upon the head 23 of latch pin 20 looks the latch into position, thereby securing the magazine to the socket l7.

The cartridges 10 are urged along the magazine under spring pressure in a known manner and that to be next fired emerges at an angle as shewn at Fig. 1.

Due to the contraction of the jaws 1 of the magazine l2 the cartridge cannot wholly exit in the direction axial of magazine length, and the bolt in its return movement under trigger or automatic release engages with its shoulder 8 the base 9 of the cartridge I0 thrusting it into the cartridge chamber of the barrel I, the extractor 4 in the same movement engaging the rim Illa of the cartridge I0 (see Fig. 3). The firing pin 5 now comes into operation in the known manner, exploding the cartridge, and the resulting gas pressure'that builds Within the barrel I is exerted through the base of the cartridge I0 1 upon the bolt 3 and overcomes the resistance of the bolt spring 3a shewn in Fig. 3 and moves the bolt backward to the position shewn in Fig. 1.

During this movement the cartridge I0 is firmly held by the extractor lever 4, said cartridge moving with the bolt 3 until the base of the cartridge engages the nose of the ejector stop [4, when the spent cartridge case is suddenly knocked sideways and disengages itself from the extractor lever and flies out of the breech opening 2a in the casing 2.

I claim: 1. In an automatic fire arm having a support,

a barrel mounted therein, a socket mounted on wherein a slot is formed partly in a side of said socket and magazine and in which said latch is engageable .on all sides, and including a head on said latch release pin, and a'spring interposed between said head and socket for retaining the latch in looking position in said slot.

3. An automatic fire arm according to claim 1, wherein said ejector is formed with a cylindrical body which mounts it in said socket and through which said release pin of the latch extends and locks it against rotation, and including means securing the base of said cylindrical body to said socket.

.4. An automatic fire arm according to claim 1,

wherein said support and socket are formed with apertures, and said ejector is formed with a cylindrical body which extends through said support and socket and thereby locates the socket on the barrel support and locks the socket and support against relative movement.

' GEORGE HERBERT LANCHESTER. 

